PRACTICAk
MAG IC K
Guarding & Reclaiming Your Power
Praise for Ellen Dugan
The Enchanted Cat
2007 COVR AWARD WINNER
Best Book Magick/Shamanism Category
Cottage Witchery
“This is the perfect book to have around if you want to make every area of your home magical.”—NewWitch
Herb Magic for Beginners
“A delightful little book.”—Herb Quarterly
Garden Witch’s Herbal
“A refreshing change from other gardenvariety horticulture books…entertaining as well as informative.”—New Age Retailer
Elements of Witchcraft
“[Dugan’s] wise-woman tone and gentle guidance will help nurture budding natural witches, and her well-written text will guide novices in their discoveries as well.”—School Library Journal
Natural Witchery
2008 COVR AWARD WINNER
Best Book Wicca/Paganism Category
“Interspersed throughout the text are lively anecdotes from Dugan’s own Samantha Stephens-esque household. The value of this book lies in the warm, personal touch Dugan uses both in her writing and in her craft.”—Publishers Weekly
“This book is eminently useful. Dugan’s voice is engaging and her work is practical and fun.”—PanGaia
“A gold mine of concepts and resources for the novice to intermediate practitioner… Chock-full of relevant wisdom and lively humor.”—Library Journal
Practical Protection Magick
Guarding & Reclaiming
Your Power
About the Author
Ellen Dugan is an award-winning author and psychic-clairvoyant who has been a practicing Witch for over twenty-six years. She is high priestess of a mixed magick tradition coven in the St. Louis area. She gardens and practices her Craft in Missouri, where she lives with her family. Also known as the Garden Witch, she is the author of eleven Llewellyn books, including Garden Witchery, Cottage Witchery, Natural Witchery, and Garden Witch’s Herbal. Ellen is also an experienced lecturer on a variety of topics, including tarot, psychometry, Witchcraft, and enchanted gardens.
Practical Protection Magick
Guarding & Reclaiming
Your Power
Ellen Dugan
Practical Protection Magick: Guarding & Reclaiming Your Power © 2011 by Ellen Dugan. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
first edition
First Printing, 2011
Book design and editing by Rebecca Zins
Cover art from iStockphoto.com/naphtalina Cover design by Lisa Novak Pentacles in chapter 6 by Jackie Williams
Llewellyn is a registered trademark of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dugan, Ellen, 1963–
Practical protection magick : guarding & reclaiming your power / Ellen Dugan.—1st ed. p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7387-2168-2
1. Protection magic. 2. Self-defense—Psychic aspects. I. Title.
BF1623.P75D84 2011
133.4´3—dc22
2010046081
Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business transactions between our authors and the public.
All mail addressed to the author is forwarded, but the publisher cannot, unless specifically instructed by the author, give out an address or phone number.
Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific location will continue to be maintained. Please refer to the publisher’s website for links to authors’ websites and other sources.
Llewellyn Publications
A Division of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive Woodbury, MN 55125-2989 www.llewellyn.com
Printed in the United States of America
Practical wisdom is only to be learned in the school of experience. Precepts and instructions are useful so far as they go, but, without the discipline of real life, they remain of the nature of theory only.
—samuel smiles
Play by the rules, but be ferocious.
—phil knight, founder of Nike
acknowledgments xv
introduction 1
Lessons Learned 1
Practical Protection Magick 3
The Magician 4
The High Priestess: A Study in Neutrality 5
Exploring the Middle Ground 6
What You Will Find in This Book 8
Beginning the Journey 10
chapter one
Psychic Awareness and Witchery 13
Psychic Awareness: A Little Something You Did Not Learn in Wicca 101 15
Psychic Talents: Discover Yours 17
clairaudient quiz 18
clairvoyant quiz 18
empathic quiz 19
intuitive quiz 20
Psychic Strengths and Weaknesses 21
The Public Witch 26
a spell to promote
psychic awareness 29
The Next Step 30
chapter two
Knowledge Is Power (Air)
33
magickal background quiz 33
Psychic Attack? How Do I Know for Sure? 35
Symptoms of a Psychic Attack 37
Elemental Solutions for a Psychic Attack 40
Down-to-Earth Advice on Hauntings 42
Haunted Houses: Who Ya Gonna Call? 43
basic steps for clearing a house 44
Ghostbusting for Witches 46 a cleansing charm 47
Doing Your Haunted Homework 48 a house cleansing and banishing ritual 49
Sharing the House with a Friendly Ghost 51
Standing Tall and Looking Within 53
call to the element of air 54
chapter three
Setting Boundaries
(Water)
Dealing with Emotional Vampires 59
Identifying an Emotional Vampire 61
Passive-Aggressive Emotional Bullies 64
The Bully versus the Witch 66
57
x contents
water ritual for establishing healthy boundaries 71
Defining Your Boundaries 73
call to the element of water 75
chapter four
Guarding and Reclaiming Your Power (Earth) 77
The Psychic Vampire—Intentional and Unintentional, Invited and Uninvited: What You Need to Know 79
Types of Psychic Vampire Energy Feeding 82
Warning Signs & Symptoms of Psychic Vampirism 85
Protecting Yourself from a Psychic Vampire 88
Are All Psychic Vampires Bad? 91 Gave It Away? Here’s How to Get It Back 93
psychic detox spell 95
Wait, Won’t Just “Psychic Shielding” Work? 97
call to the element of earth 99
chapter five
Physical Fitness Equals Magickal
Strength (Fire) 101
Getting Yourself in Shape on All Levels 102
Strong. Beautiful. You! Starting Your Own Transformation 106
Staying Motivated No Matter What 107 Body Language and Body Awareness 109
body-awareness exercise 112
Taking Charge of Our Bodies’ Health and Healing 113
Self-Healing Magick 115
self-healing spell 116 Witch, Heal Thyself! 118
call to the element of fire 118
chapter six
Warding and Witchery 121
Warding the Threshold: Herbal Swags, Wreaths, and Decorated Brooms 122 wreath, swag, or broom spell for warding 123
Horseshoes and Hex Signs 125 blessing a hex sign for protection 127
Gargoyles and Warding Magick 128 gargoyle warding spell 129
Those Gorgeous Stone Beasts 130
Protective Symbols 131
Pentacles from The Key of Solomon 132 the fourth pentacle of the moon 135 the sixth pentacle of jupiter 136 the second pentacle of saturn 137
More Practical Ideas for Warding and Witchery 138
chapter seven
Hex Marks the Spot 141
The True Cost of Hexes and Curses 143
Confirming the Problem with Divination 146
A Coven Learns a Hard Lesson 148
The Moral of the Magickal Story… 155
contents
chapter eight
A Darker Shade of Candle, Herbal, and Crystal Magick 157
The Seven Rules of Practical Protection Magick 159
Candle Magick for Uncrossing and Removing Hexes 160 an uncrossing candle spell 161 a jar candle spell to break a hex or curse 163
Shades of Protection: Color Magick 167
A Witch’s Dozen of Herbs for Protection Magick 171
herb magick for protection 176
Crystals and Stones for Protection and Defense 177 crystal spell for protection 180
Closing Thoughts 182
chapter nine
Practical Magick 185
Daily Magickal Correspondences 185 putting negative energy and jealousy to the ground: a ritual 186
Moon Phases for Psychic Self-Defense and Protection Magick 190
dark of the moon ritual: evoking nepthys for psychic protection 193
Thirteen Deities to Call On for Protection 195
coven protection magick with hecate 199
glossary 205
bibliography 211
index 217
contents xiii
acknowledgments
To Charlynn, who keeps me organized and who was literally an extra set of eyes. Thank you for listening (and then gently yanking me back) when I started to babble and go off-topic…You are a good friend and one hell of an assistant. I still say we should go find those cabana boys!
To my dear magickal friends and coven sisters: no, you cannot have those unedited, snarky pages, but thanks for laughing with me when I realized I needed to rein myself in. Thanks to you all for offering support, for brainstorming with me, and for loaning books and various magickal accoutrements. A special thanks to Ember for her on-the-spot information on crystals and stones—girlfriend, you “rock”! For Kathy, with her handy information about essential oils. Also to Jen—thanks for helping me see the trees in that forest!
A few words of appreciation to Mitchell and Darby for suggesting the warding chapter while we sat in that divine little German bakery in Birmingham. Also, thanks, Mitchell, for cheerfully answering all my questions about Southern magick. To Christopher, Marty, Trynna, Dawn, Heather, and Solstice for listening and for offering good suggestions when I hit the creative wall. For Mary, who tells me war stories about magick and her own experiences, and who makes me laugh when I really, really need it.
To Elysia, who has been enthusiastic about this project from the beginning, and to my editor Becky, who to her credit does not even flinch when I call and ask weird questions like how to list a king in the bibliography. You are simply the best!
Finally, to my family, with love.
introduction
Lessons Learned
Time, as he grows old, teaches many lessons.
I know why you picked up this book—probably for the same reason I wrote it. You want true information about psychic attacks and protection magick.
I am going to give this to you straight; in my experience, that is the best way to handle these sorts of situations and challenges. We all have been there. We all have experienced unusual things in our Craft and in our lives, and we all have, at one time or another, questioned ourselves and wondered: is this a string of bad luck, is this just a coincidence, or is it more?
Are the nightmares a warning? Those feelings in the pit of your stomach—are they trying to tell you something? Could you be under a hex or have fallen victim to a psychic attack? And how do you know for sure? What is a psychic attack anyway?
Psychic attack is the purposeful projection of negative thoughts or energy to another person. Yes, it is real. And if you think about it, this is very similar to the description of a curse. You may be experiencing nightmares, a general feeling of dis-ease, or simply the inner knowing that something is “off.” Perhaps you are dealing with a person who seems
to drain you dry, a covenmate who causes nothing but drama and trouble, or a relative who always manipulates you emotionally. But whatever it is, something in your heart and your head is telling you that it is time for protection work.
I suggest that you listen to it.
Psychic and magickal attack can take many shapes and forms. Some of the effects of these attacks are subtle, and some manifest in ways that are not. The trick is to study this topic, to learn about it, and then to calmly apply the information in a practical way to your life and Craft. In this book, you will learn not only how to identify when something is afoot but how to ethically work self-defense magick, perform psychic protection, and much, much more.
To be honest, the idea for this book on protection magick brewed in my imagination for a few years before it finally demanded to make itself known. I had basically put this topic on the back burner of my mind and let it simmer; then the universe stepped in and taught me a hard lesson. Fate handed me the opportunity to take all the ideas for this book and put them into practical use in my own life and Craft.
Yes, protection magick and psychic self-defense became more than a magickal topic or principle that I dusted off and used occasionally; it became a way of life. However, it did teach me many new and deeper magicks. It also allowed me the opportunity to study this topic from a fresh point of view—to think about it from a different magickal perspective—and, most importantly, I learned not only to embrace but to enjoy the witchy warrior within.
Over the years, as I have met Witches and Pagans from across the country, I have discovered that this whole question of psychic selfdefense and protection magick really being necessary is a common problem in the community. It embarrasses folks when they admit to having to use magick to defend or to protect themselves. After all, no one likes to appear weak, so this topic gets whispered about in corners and confided only to our closest magickal friends. That way, we feel like
we are saving face, and our reputation as super-smart, magickal tough guys stays intact.
Well, that whole idea of being embarrassed about it is just ridiculous, if you ask me. Protection magick is a basic skill that we all should learn. Your challenge here today is, are you willing to take this area of magick and turn it into a strength and a specialty? For it is not only your right to defend yourself magickally, it is also your duty. If you are going to wield magickal power to create change, then don’t you think it would be a wise idea to have a firm grasp and deeper knowledge of the skills required to perform effective psychic self-defense and practical protection magick? Why, absolutely.
Practical Protection Magick
Protection is not a principle but an expedient.
benjamin disraeli
Protection magick and psychic self-defense is a way of life that should be embraced by today’s modern magickal practitioners. It is both an empowering and a healthy attitude to take, because it takes the victim mentality right out of your magickal life. When you are actively working on your own protection, you are, in fact, standing strong and coming from a powerful place. By studying the concepts of magickal protection and psychic self-defense, you will gain knowledge and rebuild your own magickal foundation. This solid magickal base then allows you to easily work from a strong and centered space.
This new awareness will then boost your personal power and restore your confidence. By embracing a strong magickal standpoint and discarding fear and negativity, you are, in fact, transforming the negatives in your world and replacing them with positive actions and positive thoughts—which, in turn, attracts other positive energies and situations straight into your life. Most importantly, this new consciousness and insight also allows you to gain self-reliance, poise, and wisdom.
It’s time to put on our game faces and get down to business. Let’s embrace the hands-on work of psychic self-defense and protection magick. We begin by taking an honest look at the topic and tapping into the natural magician and the wise priest or priestess within.
The Magician
The profession of magician is one of the most perilous and arduous specializations of the imagination.
—william bolitho
As I planned out this book, I turned to one of my favorite divinatory tools, the tarot. Not surprisingly, a few cards showed up again and again. These cards were the Magician and the High Priestess. Now, in the classic Rider-Waite version of the tarot deck, the Magician card shows a young man standing in front of an altar. On this altar are the classic elemental and magickal tools of the Witch/magician. There is the pentacle for the element of earth, the wand for the element of fire, a ceremonial sword to represent the element of air, and the cup or cauldron to symbolize water. The magician is illustrated as pointing one hand down to the earth, and with the other he gestures up to the sky, symbolizing the old adage “As above, so below.” The Magician is one of the most magickal cards in the tarot deck, and it beautifully illustrates the point I wish to make here.
In a tarot reading, this card symbolizes a person who has the ability to take all of the elements of nature and to work with them to create their desired outcome. A down and dirty definition of a Witch, if you will, is a person of power who can easily incorporate all the natural elements together to create a magickal change. The Magician is a skilled, articulate, and confident individual. He is a powerhouse of energy and a force of nature.
I fully believe that when this card shows up in tarot readings, it is a none-too-subtle push from the gods. Here is your reminder and your
wake-up call to think and act like a Witch. In essence, by studying these topics, you will be invoking your inner priest or priestess.
The High Priestess
A Study in Neutrality
She sat with hands as if to bless, And looked with grave ethereal eyes; Ensouled by ancient Quietness, A gentle priestess of the Wise.
—george william russell
The High Priestess tarot card continues our introduction by reminding us exactly what her lesson is to teach. The classic Rider-Waite image of the High Priestess card is that of a full-figured, mature, and serious woman. A crescent moon is at her feet, showing her ties to lunar magick and all that is hidden or unseen. She is wearing a Triple Goddess crown and is seated between a white pillar and a black pillar. The black pillar symbolizes the receptive, feminine energies; the unconscious mind; and the mysteries; while the white pillar is said to represent projective, masculine qualities and also reason and consciousness. In her arms are a quill and a scroll to symbolize the knowledge that she holds within. She represents spiritual and magickal wisdom. This card stands for occult powers, or prowess, if you prefer, and denotes a person who is mature enough and strong enough to wield those powers wisely.
Interestingly enough, the High Priestess sits evenly between the two pillars. She is a study in neutrality. She does not lean to the right or the left, nor is she inclined toward the white or the black. She is in between. She is impartial. Just as nature and magick are neutral, so are the powers of the natural world that she holds.
One clever suggestion for personal magickal protection is that it is ideal to live your life impartially—to have a mindset and behavior that
is very aware of yourself on the psychic level. Once you tune in and notice the subtle psychic vibrations and disturbances that are a part of the world, it becomes much easier to avoid and deflect any possible problems or negativity. By remaining neutral and holding your temper, you can easily manipulate and direct away any energy or magick that comes your way.
Also, by being attentive to and aware of potential troubles, you can stop many magickal problems even before they begin. The trick here is to become alert and open to the idea. Now is not the time to hide your head in the sand or to pretend that hexing, cursing, psychic manipulation, energy draining, and psychic vampirism isn’t real. It is real. It can happen to even the most easygoing, grounded, and practical of magickal individuals, so let’s not pretend anymore.
Over time, as you study the magickal arts, you begin to realize that magick comes in many shades of gray. Magick is equally light and dark. It is both creative and destructive, just as nature is herself. This is a lesson that we all need to personally embrace while working protection magick and psychic self-defense. It is challenging. However, it will make you into a stronger, more balanced Witch.
Exploring the Middle Ground
There is nothing so powerful as truth, and often nothing so strange.
—daniel webster
It has been my experience that the idea of psychic self-defense and protection magick falls into one of two extremes. In this book, we are going to explore the middle ground, for the truth about this subject lies somewhere in the middle. The techniques and topics covered here are neither white or black; instead, they are shades of gray. Just like the High Priestess illustrated in the tarot deck, we are going to work from a place of knowledge, power, and wisdom, for this is the essence of neutrality. We
are standing firmly in the middle, seeking knowledge and exploring the magickal possibilities without leaning from one extreme to the other.
For the average Witch or magician, trying to get honest information about this topic is a real challenge. If you ask around and study this controversial subject for yourself, you will soon discover that there are two main camps on the topic of psychic self-defense and protection magick. To start, there is one extreme school of thought that suggests all magickal problems and psychic symptoms are in some way self-generated by the supposed victim—that somehow all the troubles this individual is perceiving are, in fact, self-created, and it’s all in their imagination.
There are magickal individuals who honestly think that other people who work any type of psychic self-defense, or who even believe that protection magick is necessary, are just self-deluded and desperate for attention. They honestly believe that no Witch or magician would ever step over that ethical line—after all, “Harm none” and all that. So anything else is just all in the seeker’s imagination. It does feel like a bit of a snub when you go to research the topic, only to have a book or an individual loftily inform you that you are probably overreacting, when all you wanted was some good practical information.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the second extreme view of the subject. This one believes that every hangnail in life is somehow generated by manipulative or destructive magick: every headache and each instance of misfortune was created maliciously by another person, and everyone is out to get you. This is a panic-inducing mindset, and it creates loads of chaos. It’s the whole Chicken Little thing—that old “The sky is falling, the sky is falling!” scenario.
Basically, this attitude encourages magickal folks to live in fear and to cower behind numerous amulets and charms slung around their necks before venturing outside the sanctity of their magickally protected lairs. The popular answer for the magickal Chicken Little is to throw an LBRP (Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram) at every little situation and then to go along their way, assured that things are well in hand—for a little while, anyway.
I believe that the truth about protection magick and psychic selfdefense lies somewhere between these two extremes. I also think it’s way past time that we look at psychic self-defense and protection magick from a practical standpoint and with some real-life situations, and learn how to handle ourselves, should a situation ever occur.
What You Will Find in This Book
Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.
—charles w. eliot
This book is filled with information, exercises, rituals, and spells. There are ideas for psychic self-defense, and you will learn many new ways to incorporate protection magick easily and successfully into your life. To begin, we study psychic abilities, with all of their individual strengths and weaknesses. If you want to learn how to effectively defend yourself, then you need to take stock of what abilities and talents you bring to the magickal table.
Everyone has psychic talents of some sort; it is up to you to explore, develop, and then integrate these talents into your own Craft. This is vital to understand; once you know where your personal intuitive talents lie, you are prepared and ready. Plus, no two Witches are exactly the same. This psychic individuality is a gift, and it is what makes you and your protection magick strong.
We will be exploring all of the natural elements in this book and applying them to psychic self-defense and protection magick. You will need this knowledge if you want to have the wisdom to wield these powers. By working our magick with the four natural elements that we so love, we will pull ourselves and our personal energies back into a healthy and strong state. The elements of earth, air, fire, and water will teach you how to protect yourself and how to achieve neutrality,
boundaries, a deeper psychic perception, magickal strength, and, most importantly, balance, allowing your own protection magick to sing in a wonderful four-part harmony.
In the air chapter, we study the idea of knowledge being power. We take a look at psychic attack, and you will learn the warning signs and symptoms. Once you know how psychic attack works and how it manifests, then you can easily defend against it. There will also be an honest and practical look at the popular topics of hauntings and ghosts. Plus there are spells and charms to close an astral doorway or portal, and a ritual designed to clear a home.
In the chapter devoted to water and emotions, we will study the effects that emotional vampires and passive-aggressive manipulation can cause. Here we will practice our emotional psychic self-defense. You will learn ways to identify emotional vampires, how to keep these sorts of troublemakers out of your life, and how to establish healthy boundaries. In that chapter, you will find a water-theme ritual designed to dissolve and wash away any negativity you may have picked up.
In the earth-theme section, we will explore the practical concepts of defending yourself from psychic vampires and ways to reclaim your personal power. You will learn to stand tough and stay grounded, no matter what sort of character you encounter or what life throws at you. You will also learn how to take back your power and remain grounded and strong.
In the fire chapter, we’ll learn the ways of the warrior Witch. Here, you will take a look at your physical fitness and how it affects your body and aura as well as your protection work, because physical fitness does equal magickal strength. Body awareness, body language, and selfhealing will be explored in this fiery section as well.
The fine art of warding and witchery will also be investigated, with a variety of magickal spells and projects to defend and to protect your home, business, and possessions. From gargoyles to runes to The Key of Solomon, this particular chapter features a wide variety of many different magickal traditions for you to discover and apply to your witchery.
I also want to share with you a few of the enchanting things I have learned along the way. In the chapter called “Hex Marks the Spot,” we’ll discuss the true cost of hexes and curses. Here you can learn ways to confirm magickal problems with divination and discover the moral to an interesting magickal tale.
In chapter 8, the difference between a crossed condition and a curse are discussed, as well as rules for practical protection magick. There are several spells and rituals here for removing hexes and curses, and for performing an uncrossing. Candle, herbal, and crystal magick for protection are also included.
The book will close up with a final chapter devoted to practical magick. There you will find daily and lunar correspondences, and thirteen suggested deities that you can call on for psychic and magickal protection work. You will also find three more rituals, including an intense solitary ritual where you evoke a goddess for psychic protection, plus a group ritual for magickal protection for your circle or coven that works with Hecate.
Beginning the Journey
We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.
—marcel proust
Magick is a joy, and it is also a responsibility. It is and always has been up to the practitioners to use wisdom, compassion, and their own intelligence to temper their spells. While this may seem difficult to imagine or to achieve, just like any other skill, you only become proficient at psychic self-defense and protection magick when you practice.
Yes, this is a darker shade of witchery; however, while it may be more intense, there is nothing here to be nervous about. Let’s work from a neutral place and take a thorough and fearless look at it together. We can begin our journey right now just by turning the page.
Chapter One Psychic Awareness and Witchery
You stand in your own light.
—john heywood
Here is an important fact for you to consider. As a magickal practitioner and a Witch, you are a beacon of light. You will attract the attention of all sorts of physical beings on this earthly plane as well as the attention of beings on the spiritual plane. Those who practice the Craft and live their life in a positive, life-affirming way will attract other lights into their worlds. They will also, from time to time, attract the shadows. Learning how to deal with and conquer those shadows in a balanced way is an important part of the Craft and your training.
For those of us who take our Craft seriously, and who work to live our magickal lives with honor and integrity, dealing with this topic is an emotional one. To live as a Witch is to grow and to gain experience in the Craft. You are always learning, training, and pushing yourself into uncharted territories beyond the boundaries of what is comfortable. As students of the magickal arts, we are always striving to remake ourselves. We have to battle against our own tempers, shortcomings, insecurities, and fears, and go beyond our limits to transform who we are.
Pushing your limits is part of every Witch’s training. Taking a realistic and serious look at psychic self-defense and protection magick is yet another step along your journey. Truthfully, in one way or another as a
magickal practitioner, you will indeed have to protect or defend yourself on a psychic or magick level eventually.
Yes, we all have to go through the various stages of denial, fear, anger, and then acceptance. Then, once you realize what the problem is, you can finally stopped wringing your hands, second-guessing yourself, and wondering what in the hell is happening to your world. It’s also time to take a deep breath, take a hard look at where you are standing at the moment, and then start asking yourself a few tough questions.
Have you become complacent? Perhaps you simply got a bit lax with the upkeep on your personal protection magick. It happens. And honestly, from time to time, we all forget, and it’s easy to become a bit lazy in regard to magickal protection and psychic self-defense. When you become complacent, the universe typically steps in and teaches you a hard lesson. It can happen to anybody.
Do you believe you are too powerful to be blindsided? Seriously, understand what the word blindsided means. It means you have been caught unaware—off guard—and that you did not see the incident coming until after it ran you over.
Did you foolishly assume that protection magick for you personally would never be necessary? After all, as ethical Witches, we know better than anyone that there is a price to be paid for those who cast harmful magick out of spite or envy. Many practitioners honestly cannot conceive of anyone even doing such an incredibly stupid thing on purpose; these scenarios simply do not happen in their magickal worlds, and they will refuse to even consider the possibility. Yes, step right up, ladies and gentlemen—here we have a fabulous illustration of denial.
This notion is perpetuated by the Wiccan Rede, which states “An it harm none, do as you will.” With this credo in mind, many folks think the answer is to send love and light in any situation. Well, good luck with that. Love is fine; but if someone is trying to physically assault you, are you going to send them love and light, or are you going to fight back and try to kick them hard in the groin or go for their eyes so you can escape? Think about it.
Face it: there are bad people out there. It’s foolish to not consider the possibility that any magician or Witch could ever, for any reason, step over the ethical line. To believe that it will never happen to you is about as irresponsible as walking through a dark parking lot and dangling your cash-filled wallet from your fingertips while verbally taunting any would-be muggers in the area. This is what I like to call the “Oh, it will never happen to me” mindset.
Do you lock your front door when you leave your home? Of course you do. Do you flash your cash or credit cards or leave them lying about? No, because that’s careless. Do you hand out your personal information to every stranger you meet? Why, of course not. In today’s world, you have to be smart and savvy. There is no excuse for being naïve.
That’s when the truth about magickal protection and psychic selfdefense hits you. That’s when you become aware.
Psychic Awareness
A Little Something You Did Not Learn in Wicca 101
Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around us in awareness.
—james thurber
It has been my experience that most practicing Witches today are either intuitive or empathic to a certain degree. Why? Well, if you think about it, Witches just know when magick is afoot, or they sense when magick is at work around them. This type of knowing, or sensing, is a valuable tool that Witches naturally rely on as they practice their Craft. This is also that same inner awareness that has set them on their magickal path to begin with. They have come to realize that there is more to this old world than most people realize, and so they open up to the possibilities of magick and begin their quest.
In my book Natural Witchery, we explored the different psychic abilities and how they relate to and support your personal power and your Craft. In this book, we will take a look at how to go about defending yourself on both a psychic and a magickal level with your own natural talents. And yes, this is a necessary skill to have. As Witches, we push our boundaries every day to become more—more of an adept practitioner, more knowledgeable and more sensitive to the current of magick that runs through our lives.
It’s important to realize that the same wonderful perception that can make a Witch a talented empath and very sensitive to the ebb and flow of magick can also cause the same individual to be bombarded with negativity from others if they are not careful. The same sensitivity that you have been carefully cultivating is like a double-edged sword. It can easily cause you problems and pain if you are not thoughtful with how you handle it.
So what is a Witch to do? You strive for the middle ground. You need to become more aware of your surroundings and the energies at play within your life. Basically, you stay alert and remain attentive to your own inner warning system. Pay attention to your intuition and your instincts. Take notice of your body and your psychic senses. The messages may be subtle or strong; for example, a subtle warning may be feeling uneasy or jumpy for no apparent reason.
The trick is learning to pay attention to the warning signs that are around you. Don’t overreact. Rather, listen to your gut hunches and focus on your intuition, as this may just save your magickal behind. There is no need to panic. Instead, I urge you to put your game face on and to become more alert; then you can take the appropriate action and respond calmly and in the best possible way in regard to the situation.
All of the personal training you have undergone and all of the years of experience that you have accrued can help you learn to magickally defend yourself now. That double-edged sword of sensitivity that we just referred to is not to be feared. Instead, it is meant to be honed and practiced with, for it is a part of you—an extension of your magick, if you
will. That “sword” defends your weak spots and enhances your strengths. It is not something that can harm you. It is, in fact, a weapon that can be used for magickal defense.
And like a knight of old, you don’t go swinging that sword around just for the hell of it or because it makes you feel tough. You keep the sword in good condition while you work on celebrating your strengths and overcoming your weaknesses. And if you develop your own psychic skills, train and practice with this magickal knowledge daily, and work from a centered place, it does indeed become a formidable defense.
Psychic Talents
Discover Yours
It is by logic that we prove, but by intuition that we discover. —jules henri poincaré
There are four main types of psychic talents: clairaudience, clairvoyance, empathy, and intuition. The straightforward questions in the quizzes that follow are designed to help you figure out what particular psychic talents you are working with. Their questions are very similar to the ones that were in my book Natural Witchery, though for the sake of convenience the quizzes have been fine-tuned and reproduced for you here.
Natural Witchery showed you how to incorporate these talents into your Craft, which enabled you to “turn up the volume” on your own magick. Now, I’m showing you what the strengths and weaknesses of these particular psychic abilities are. This will teach you how to use them to your advantage and how to defend the weak spots that go along with the psychic ability. This way you have knowledge, and knowledge is power. Take a look at the following four sets of questions, and go over them carefully. When you have finished all four quizzes, see which category has the most yes answers.
Now, please keep in mind that a yes answer should be yes, as in Yes, this happens to me all of the time . Not Oh, that happened to me once, many years ago. Be honest with yourself. If you want to truly know where your psychic talents lie, then honesty is the best policy.
Clairaudient Quiz
1. When I am speaking to friends, I always know what they are going to say before they say it.
2. I hear key phrases or words in my mind that will then play out immediately in my real life.
3. If I have a person’s name stuck in my mind all day, I typically receive a surprise visit or phone call from them within twentyfour hours.
4. I will have a song spontaneously pop into my mind that then provides me with insights or information for a particular problem.
5. I always pay attention to my inner voice or my inner monologue.
6. I often hear other people’s thoughts.
7. I often hear what is not said (aka “hearing between the lines”).
8. I can send a thought or a phrase to someone else, and they can hear it.
9. I can hear it when someone is lying to me.
10. It is essential to me to have a quiet, calm environment to work in.
Clairvoyant Quiz
1. I regularly experience premonitions.
2. When I close my eyes, I can see actual images in my mind’s eye.
3. I mistrust people who will not look me in the eyes or who look away while speaking to me.
4. Visualization techniques come easy for me.
5. While being taught something new, I do better by being shown as opposed to being told.
6. I have experienced a clairvoyant vision (see page 206) while I was awake and aware of my other surroundings.
7. I would describe myself as a visual person.
8. I have precognitive dreams regularly.
9. I can easily tell the difference between a regular dream and a precognitive dream.
10. I am most comfortable in a pretty, bright, and picturesque environment.
Empathic Quiz
1. As I enter a room, my first thoughts and impressions are usually about how the room feels to me.
2. I am easily influenced by other people’s moods and emotions.
3. Being in a large crowd makes me feel uncomfortable physically and bombarded emotionally.
4. When I meet someone for the first time, I gather my impressions and assess them by how they make me feel, despite how they act.
5. When I am with another person, I can easily understand just how they feel. I can sense their pain.
6. I dislike and will try to avoid casual touching from strangers in social situations.
7. Having heirloom items or antiques in my home makes me feel uncomfortable because of the memories that they carry.
8. I experience a feeling of “butterflies in the stomach,” or a tightening of the solar plexus area, when I am contemplating the possibility of an angry verbal confrontation or physical danger.
9. I am best able to sense another person’s emotional state by touching them.
10. I have my feelings hurt very easily and am often moved to tears.
Intuitive Quiz
1. I have experienced a foreboding feeling (which may be described as “a sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach”) about a person, place, or serious situation that then actually happens.
2. I tend to blurt out whatever comes to mind without first thinking it over.
3. I am an excellent judge of character.
4. I act on my “gut hunches,” which are followed by positive affirmations that they were the correct things to have done or said.
5. I rarely worry, because I just know things will turn out all right.
6. I let my instincts guide me while searching for a book or other new item to purchase.
7. I make major decisions quickly and correctly, as if by instinct.
8. I wake up right before the alarm clock goes off every morning.
9. I consider myself a quiet and contemplative type of person.
10. I work best and am most successful by following my instincts, despite what others may suggest.
How many yes answers did you get in each section? The section with the highest number of honest yes answers is your area of psychic
strength. Oh—and yes, you certainly may have tied in two areas or have more than one psychic strength. People tend to have a mixture of psychic abilities and talents. Now that you have a better idea of your own, let’s move on to the next topic.
Psychic Strengths and Weaknesses
The more you read and learn, the less your adversary will know.
—sun tzu, Art of War
While experienced magickal practitioners or natural intuitives, clairaudients, clairvoyants, or empaths may have a good idea of what their abilities are on a psychic level, they may not realize that they do, indeed, have weaknesses. Understanding how negative energy or manipulative magick affects your particular psychic talent comes in damn handy. For those of you who are naturally psychic, this is information that you’ve probably had to learn the hard way. As someone who has walked this psychic road for over forty years, let me give you some hints that will help you. It is true that the different types of psychic abilities have both strengths and vulnerabilities, so the goal is to identify and then safeguard yours.
In the following sections, there will be a brief description of the psychic talent and then a description of the weakness of each particular gift. Also keep in mind that many folks are a mixture of two or three types of psychic abilities, so consider each section carefully. Here is more information that will be helpful to you as you work psychic self-defense and protection magick.
Clairaudient Strengths: To begin, clairaudience means “clear hearing.” This involves the reception of extrasensory signals as a word, a sound, or a phrase. The strength of a clairaudient is their ability to be tuned in to several things at once (which would be a sort
of psychic multitasking). These are the folks who hear between the lines. They receive internal messages—and they do hear the things that are meant but never spoken. Clairaudients follow their inner voice quite often and listen to it without a lot of fuss. They are wonderful co-workers and tend to show up just in time to fix problems or to mediate conflicts. Telepathy is associated with clairaudience, and if this is a strength of yours, then I suggest practicing with a friend and see if you can really send your thoughts to another or have them send their thoughts to you. Clairaudients tend to be calm and grounded. They are very analytical and like to pride themselves on their common sense and their control.
Clairaudient Weaknesses: These are the people who need things proven to them again and again. They are so used to listening to that constant stream of psychic information that they sometimes disregard the more subtle physical/bodily signs or warning feelings. Clairaudients are so practical that they often have to be psychically whapped upside the head with something incredibly bad before they figure out that something negative is indeed afoot. They do not like to feel out of control of any situation, so their weakness is that stubbornness and a hesitancy to trust strong emotions or physical impressions. Clairaudients would rather trust their own mental powers instead.
Clairvoyant Strengths: Clairvoyants accurately see the future, the present, and the past, and they can helpfully translate the visions they receive to others. The strength of a clairvoyant is their unique outlook and future-based impression of life. Clairvoyance literally means “clear vision.” These folks see all too clearly what others would choose to keep hidden. The clairvoyant is tuned in to visual symbols, dreams, and psychic visions in a way most people could only imagine. Typically talented at illustrated or visually stimulating types of divinatory tools such as the tarot,
they are mystical folks who can effortlessly envision the outcome of their magick. A clairvoyant is prophetic and is what was called in the old days a seer.
Clairvoyant Weaknesses: Why, they should be able to see anything coming, right? Nope. Often, clairvoyants are so busy weeding through the various visions and psychic pictures they are bombarded with that it can be tough for them to distinguish what is actually meant for themselves and what is meant for another. Clairvoyants spend a lot of time second-guessing themselves. As visions often come in symbols and signs, they typically have to decipher and then sort out what messages they are receiving. If the vision they receive is upsetting or a warning of some kind, it can make even the most talented of clairvoyants falter. This hesitancy—and being distracted by trying to figure out what their visions are actually telling them—makes them lose precious time and energy. Clairvoyants are often so distracted by the unease that accompanies a psychic warning, or the knowledge of negative energy being present, that they forget to stay calm, to ground and focus their energies, and then to follow their intuition so they can react appropriately.
Empathic Strengths: Empathy is also known as clairsentience. An empath is a person who can psychically tune in to the emotional experiences of a person or place. They sense attitudes, emotions, and sometimes human ailments. The strength of an empath is their compassion. They truly know what it is to feel another person’s joy or suffering. Empaths can read the mood or emotions of people and animals. They can also read the memories of an object or a place; this particular type of psychic ability is called psychometry. Well-practiced and shielded empaths can know if an object, area, or person has been blessed or hexed, typically without even having to touch the person or item. They can hold
their hands above the surface of the object or above the skin of the person and sense the psychic impressions. Practiced empaths will observe how their emotions react while the sensations flow harmlessly past them.
Empathic Weaknesses: The empath tends to fall into two categories: the shielded and the unshielded. The shielded empath has learned to batten down the hatches when out in public, so as not to become overwhelmed by the swirl of emotions and impressions. When confronted with negativity, shielded empaths will either dodge and let the impressions flow harmlessly past them, or, if the information seems too personal, they tend to shut themselves down tightly. Either situation may cause them to miss the subtle clues that are valiantly trying to tap into their emotions by letting them know something is truly wrong. Sensing an attack, it makes them automatically pull down their psychic defenses even tighter. This causes a boomerang effect that makes trained and well-shielded empaths hunker down and draw their auras in toward themselves. What happens then is that the attacking energy will keep hammering away at them, until eventually it finds a weakness in the shield, or the empath’s protection eventually falters, and that allows the energy to get in and do damage while their resistance is low.
Unshielded empaths are usually so sensitive and vulnerable that they are overwhelmed and frightened about the constant unwanted personal information they are receiving. Unshielded or untrained empaths get blasted right away by any strong emotion, and negative energy is very toxic to them. This causes them to feel even more off-kilter, and then they typically become ill. Once their auras are breached from the negative energy attack, the harmful energy really goes to work. This may cause unshielded or untrained empaths to feel paranoid, or they may begin to question
their mental health. This situation also tends to scare off newer empathic practitioners, as these intense feelings of dread and alarm frighten them and make them feel that this magick business is too dangerous to pursue. Instead of exploring the feelings and psychic impressions they are receiving, and trying to figure it out and learn from it, they panic and run instead.
Intuitive Strengths: Intuition may be defined as a quick and ready insight and immediate apprehension or cognition—the good oldfashioned gut hunch. This ability is sometimes referred to as “prophetic knowing.” Intuitives rarely worry, are fantastic judges of character, and are seldom wrong about situations and issues that pop up, which can be annoying to the folks who live with them (I should know—I have a very gifted intuitive in my family). Intuitives are confident and clear thinking. They make excellent decisions and are naturally the person in charge. Even if it is not in their personality to be the ring leader, their family, co-workers, and other people are always drawn to them for help, support, and practical advice.
Intuitive Weaknesses: The intuitive’s weakness is arrogance. Bless their hearts, those darn intuitives typically “just know” when it comes to perceiving psychic information. They may be overconfident because they are so often correct anyway, and that’s what blindsides them. After all, they have already sized up and identified any potential problems. Intuitives may think they would “know” if there was a problem, so they may ignore a psychic vision or an empathic/emotional impression, which may be their body’s only way of getting their attention when their mind is already made up. The trick is that sometimes attacking energy or malignant magick is subtle, and sadly, it can be tailor-made to get you in a weak spot, such as your pride.
So, what did you learn? It’s a little humbling, isn’t it? However, this is not the time to be embarrassed. This is the time to learn and to put the information to good use. It is important to realize that often psychic attack symptoms and problems are the product or manifestation of baneful magick. By studying this topic from a unique point of view, you have added to your overall wisdom.
And finally, we have another type of scenario to consider. While it does not fall under a psychic category, it is a topic that is rarely touched upon.
The Public Witch
This is not an easy path to follow, nor is it for all.
—marian green
Whether you are a high priest or high priestess, tarot reader, psychic counselor, reiki master, coven leader, community leader, or magick/ metaphysical shop owner, to be a Witch in the public eye is to be an individual with a psychic target painted on the middle of your back—or a sign that everyone else sees that says, “Please, tell me all of your problems.”
Just this past week, I got pounced on by a woman I had not seen or spoken to in over two years. We used to work together, and I suppose she finagled my unlisted phone number from my old boss. Three days in a row, I was bombarded with her pleading and begging for a spell to make her new husband take her back. She was in her late forties, had been divorced twice before, and—from what I remembered—she had worked very hard to get back on her own and was happy with her single life. So I was very surprised to hear she was married at all, let alone thrown out by hubby number three.
Here is the interesting thing. She spent a half-hour telling me all about her fifteen-thousand-dollar wedding rings, her vacation to Hawaii, the fancy trips they used to go on, the new car he bought her,
the fancy house, even the (I kid you not) state-of-the-art, stainless-steel appliances in their kitchen. She demanded a spell to make him take her back. She wanted to be back in the big, expensive house with those pretty new appliances.
I tried to explain that I did not work that way, and then she informed me that apparently the gentleman in question suffered from depression and had decided to take himself off of his medications. He completely changed from the man she thought she had married. He became despondent, gained weight, started having problems with his job, and then, in a moment of high drama, threw his wife of six months out of the fancy house. She never once said anything about love. Instead she listed off, twice, all the goodies that she was missing, and how she was now alone, penniless (her words), and without a job for the past three months while she waited for the man to come to his senses.
She begged me to do a spell on her husband. She pleaded, and then, goddess help me, she listed off for a third time all the things she no longer had. I suppose she thought that would make me sympathetic. But it wasn’t until I flat-out asked her if what she loved about the guy was his money that she said, almost like an afterthought, “Oh, I love him, too.”
Well, how charming.
Long story short, I gently but firmly explained several times about manipulation and how I would not cast a spell on her soon-to-be-ex husband. I did tell her I would work a spell for her so she could heal, find peace, and get back on her feet. I gently ended the conversation and felt a cloud of depression slide over me from all the emotional dumping that I had just been subjected to.
Then I lit a pink candle for the woman and said a quick charm for her emotional healing, as promised. Later, I went for a walk, worked out, and, lastly, took a ritual bath to get any lingering energy off of me. For the next several days, she kept calling my house. Each time I refused to speak to her; answering machines are a beautiful thing. I suppose she figured if she just pleaded long enough, I would do whatever magick she wanted me to do.
Now, while this is not a classic psychic attack, it is draining. It’s called “spell begging,” and public Witches get subjected to this situation a lot. This type of behavior is nasty, exhausting, and manipulative. It’s the old “I’ll just nag until I get what I want” routine. If you are a public Witch, then you need to be aware of this sort of situation so that you can learn to protect yourself from it, as this is an emotionally draining type of attack. So how do you protect yourself from it? Well, you put some boundaries in place. You are allowed private time, so screen your calls and learn to say politely and firmly the following magick word: no.
Besides spell beggars, being a public Witch can also expose you to envy; it might expose you to unwanted psychic attention, and it may draw the crazies of this world straight to your door. It seems that everyone wants a piece of you, as they want you and only you to listen to and solve all of their problems, real and imagined. It’s funny and it’s tragic all at the same time, and Lord and Lady help you if you decide to help out the dabbler or the New Age individual who is running around all in a panic.
Let’s be honest here: do you know what happens to the average Witch when they try to help out a skittish New Ager, spell beggar, or someone who is emotionally imbalanced, or even offer well-meaning advice to a magickal dabbler? The other person will latch on and then hold on to the Witch tightly. They can be darn hard to shake loose, too. Why? Because they want to believe that you have all the answers to the mysteries of life. So how do I know that anyway? Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. I am sure that many readers have been there, too.
Be aware of these occult dabblers and pseudo New Agers who constantly think they are in danger of some type of “dark” being—a shadow creature or entity. These typically are the folks who are curious about magick and the Craft but who are, in reality, actually terrified of it. And you know exactly what sort of person I’m talking about.
Can any of you say you have not been to a metaphysical shop or a Pagan function where some poor unbalanced individual was running
around telling anyone who would listen all of their woes and insisting it was all because of baneful magick or bad energy?
The popular answer for the dabbler is to do unto the other person before they can do unto you, which is why books on hexes and curses abound—and the dabblers just gobble them right up. After all, they have many, many books on Witchcraft, you know. Why, they’ve been reading about the Craft for years! Sounds way too familiar, doesn’t it?
Bottom line: if you are a public Witch, you, too, should be especially vigilant. Not fearful, only attentive. Hold your head up, and look around yourself in awareness.
A Spell to Promote Psychic Awareness
We are all born with wonderful gifts.
We begin as children to explore and develop our talents, often unaware that we are unique, that not everyone can do what we are doing!
—lynn
johnston
Here is a spell that will reinforce what we just discussed. This simple spell is designed to awaken your psychic awareness. No matter if you are clairvoyant, clairaudient, empathic, or intuitive—or any combination thereof—this spell is designed to call those abilities and their gifts forth, to help you learn and grow in awareness with them.
Supplies: Pen and paper; your quiz answers from this chapter; one white votive candle; a votive cup; matches or a lighter; and a safe, flat surface to set the candle on.
Directions: You may cast this spell on a Monday to tie in to the psychic and mystical qualities of the moon. For more added punch, you could also cast this spell on a new moon or a full moon.
To begin, look over your quiz answers. Take a moment and jot down what your strengths are. Then make a quick list of what other psychic talents you would like to personally improve upon.
Now set the list down in the center of your work surface, and set the candle in its holder on top of the list. Light the candle and place your hands on top of the paper, on either side of the candle holder. Finally, center yourself, and repeat the spell verse:
May I become more open to psychic impressions
As my own talents and strengths can teach me many lessons. Whether empath or clairaudient, intuitive or clairvoyant Grant compassion and control, confidence and clear vision For these qualities will enhance my inner wisdom.
As this candle burns away, my spell has begun For the good of all and bringing harm to no one.
Allow the candle to burn in a safe place until it goes out on its own. Take your list and tuck it away. See how your awareness opens up over the next few months.
The Next Step
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
—lao tzu
Acquiring psychic awareness is a wonderful beginning on your personal journey to a deeper magickal discovery. Let’s continue to research the topic, turning our focus and attention on those four magickal elements. Each of the natural elements has a specific lesson to teach and more mysteries to reveal when it comes to psychic self-defense and practical protection magick.
In our next chapter, we study the element of air and the idea that knowledge is power. This will enable you to add to your repertoire and to keep working with the new information that you have just discovered, thus allowing you to become a more balanced and centered Witch as you travel down the path of wisdom.
WARDING, WITCHERY & PSYCHIC SELF-DEFENSE
Embrace your innate warrior skills—knowledge, balance, and wisdom— and amp up your personal power. This helpful handbook is chock-full of protection witchery and psychic self-defense techniques you can use to keep yourself and your home strong, secure, and protected. With her trademark humor and candor, bestselling author Ellen Dugan teaches how to weave safe and sensible protection magick into your Craft practice and daily life. This unique practical guide reveals how to pinpoint your psychic strengths, set boundaries, diagnose a problem with divination, and maintain health on physical, psychic, and magickal levels. You’ll also find precise and potent spells, rituals, and warding techniques to defend against psychic attacks, emotional and psychic vampires, hexes, unwanted ghosts, and other forms of negativity threatening your home and your well-being.
ELLEN DUGAN is the award-winning author of more than thirty books, including Practical Prosperity Magick, Herb Magic for Beginners, and Garden Witchery. Ellen’s popular nonfiction titles have been translated into over twelve foreign languages. She lives an enchanted life in Missouri tending to her extensive perennial gardens and writing. Visit her at EllenDugan.com or EllenDugan.blogspot.com.